The Draconic System: Rise of To Ascendance

The bald man's laugh was low and grating, like someone who had seen too much and found amusement in it. Raizen met his gaze without flinching, his body relaxed but his mind analyzing every exit in the dimly lit room. Six men, all with hardened expressions, sat around makeshift tables, their hands idly resting near weapons, be they knives, energy pistols, or simple blunt objects.

"Coin?" Raizen echoed with a smirk. "I don't deal in small trades. I deal in opportunities."

The man's grin faded slightly. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "You got a mouth on you, kid. That's dangerous around here."

Raizen pulled out a small encrypted drive from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Combat data. Academy elite battles, underground arena match breakdowns, predictive fighting patterns. You let me in, I give you access."

One of the men grabbed the drive, plugging it into a small handheld device. His eyes flickered with interest as lines of data scrolled across the screen. "This is legit," he murmured.

The bald man exhaled through his nose, nodding. "Fine. You want in? Then you follow the rules. No causing trouble, no double-dealing, and if you cross anyone in here, you deal with the consequences."

Raizen nodded, stepping forward as the man gestured toward a reinforced hatch in the floor, marked by burned sigils and heavy locks. One of the guards turned a lever, causing the metal door to creak open, revealing a stairwell that descended into darkness.

"Welcome to the Vault," the bald man said. "Don't get yourself killed."

The air thickened with dampness and secrecy as Raizen descended the stairs. Dim, flickering lights lined the walls, casting elongated shadows that danced with each step. As he reached the bottom, the space opened up into a sprawling underground market. Stalls were set up in tight rows, filled with items that had no place in an official academy setting—black-market cultivation manuals, restricted AI enhancements, stolen technology, and illicit power boosters.

Raizen moved through the market, his eyes scanning the various wares. A stallkeeper, a gaunt man with cybernetic eyes, grinned at him. "New face. Looking for something specific?"

Raizen smirked. "Information."

The vendor chuckled. "Information isn't cheap. Depends on what you need."

"I need a combat cultivation method—one that isn't academy-sanctioned."

The vendor's grin widened. "Ah. You want something… off the books. I've got a few options, but they'll cost you."

Raizen leaned in slightly. "How much?"

The vendor tapped his chin. "Depends on how deep you want to go. I have basic F-tier techniques for a few credits. E-tier? That's gonna cost. And anything above that… well, you'd have to prove you can handle it."

Raizen's eyes flickered with interest. If he could get his hands on an E-tier technique, he'd leap ahead of nearly everyone in his academy ranking.

The system chimed.

[New Quest Acquired: Secure an E-Tier Combat Technique]

Objective: Obtain an E-Tier manual from the Vault, either through trade, theft, or combat trial.

Reward: Power Advancement – E-Tier Cultivation Unlock.

Raizen grinned. "Then let's talk business."